Signalling device



Feb. 9, 1965 Filed March 1. 1961 W. R. AIKEN SIGNALLING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 POWER SUPPLY 1 mwER :swPPuY "POWER SUPPLY f F i g.

Feb. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sfwet 2 Filed March 1. 1961 MW m wx M. W

United States Patent ()fiice 3,169,24l Patented Feb. 9, 1965 3,169,241SIGNALLING DEVICE William Ross Aiken, 10410 Magdalena Ave.,

Los Altos Hills, Calif. Filed Mar. 1, 1961, Set. No. 92,691 2 Claims.(Cl. 340-373 It is'an object of my invention to provide a signalling Idevice of the type referred to, that is of simple and im expensiveconstruction, is inexpensive and easy to operate, and is dependable inperformance.

This and other objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description of the accompanying drawings which illustratecertain preferred embodiments thereof and wherein FIGURE 1 is aschematic perspective of an embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the embodimentillustrated in FIGURE 1 ina'diiferent operational position;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic perspective similar to FIG- URE 1, of a modifiedembodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective of an apparatus formed by a plurality ofsuperposed rows of devices such as illustrated in FIGURES 1' to 3; and iFIGURE 5 is a schematic plan view of the uppermost row of an apparatusof the type" shown in FIGURE .4 illustrating an exemplary controlcircuittherefor.

located in a corner adjacent the window 12 is a fiap or vane 16 of anelectrically conductive non-magnetic material, such as still aluminumfoil. Attached to the side wall 18 of the enclosure 10is a spiral coil20 whose leads are connected to' the poles of a suitable source ofalternating voltage 22 and contain a normally open switch 24. Alsoattached to said side wall at a centerpoint thereof may be a. suitablespacer 25. By mountingthe hinge rod 14 of the vane 16 in anappropriately tilted position or by suitable spring means as indicatedat 27 in FIG- URES land 2, the vane may be arranged to assume ordinarilya position closely adjacent to the side wall 18 as illustrated in FIGURE1 as determined by the spacer 25. Upon closure of switch 24, however,the alternating magnetic field generated by the energized-coil 20 repelsthe flap 16 causing it to move into a position adjacent the to itsinitial position adjacent the side wall 18 and thus withdrawstheiidentifyingm ark on its outer surface 26 I from view. Hence, byclosingor opening the switch 24,

I. For actuating a hinged component, such as asheet or plate,-todisplay, expose oriconccal anidentifying mark, the present inventionmakesus'e of the motion-producing effect Iof ,force fields,. .upon,conductive fb'odies,f More specifically,; the ,presentinvention makesuse of the .motion-proiducing effect of magnetic force fields upon,conductive bodies whether they are made of a magnetizable g ornon-magnetizable material) 'For thispurpos'e a magnetizing coil isprovided in the vicinity of; the hingedcomponent, and if said componentis made of a 'non-magnetizable electrically conductivemateriaL-energization of the coil with-an alternating current producesan alternat-s ing magnetic field which. induces eddy currents in thecomponent. the coil in the same manner in which the rotor of an eddycurrent motor is actuated,'causing said component to move about itshinges from a position of rest wherein tionwherein it displays orje'xposes an identifying mark into a position wherein saidmarkisconcealed from view.

the display controlling component, and by energization of the coil, saidcomponent may be' moived from a posiln FIGURE .1, the reference numeral10 identifies a cubeshaped cell orenclosure which may be made of asuitable plastic. Said enclosure has a transparentffront wall or window12 or may be open at the front, In the accompanying drawings theenclosure 10 has'been represented as if it'were entirely transparentsoas to show the compo: nents in its: interior. In practice, howe'ver,;allitsqwalls FIGURE 3 Y en "b coilSl) atfthe sidewall 34 isenergiz'ed, Imagne c field gel-iterated by said coil 30 movesthe flap 44 intoapo'sition adjacen'tthe window 32 whereiniit displayswhateveridentifying mark'may be provided on its outer'surface 46." Byreversing the position ofthe This is e'lfective to repel thejcomponentfrom p switches 40 and 42, the coil 30 is dc-energized but the coil 28is energized and establishes an alternating field that repels the flapor vane 44 from the window 32 of the enclosure into afposition adjacentthe side wall 34 thereof f I 7 @iso thatits signalling surface is nolonger visible through j the windowJ The embodiment of theinvention'illustrated 1 in FIGURE 3 requires no mechanical means forreturns ing the flap orvane '44 from its display position to its idle 2position, as. doesthe embodiment illustratedin FIGURES l and 2. However,it has the disadvantage that the mag-- netizing'coil 28 adjacent thewindow 32 must be' made of a transparent material such, as transparentconductive I coating deposited onto a surface of said window, lest itFIGURE 4 smal ness plurality of signalling devices of the typeillustrated in FIGURESl to 3, asse'r'nbled in superposed rowsto form anapparatus thatmay'be rna nipulated by activation oflselected ones ofsaid signalling devices tofform' letters or characters, such asthe-character 2 shown in saidFIGURE 4. The apparatus illus- J trated inFIGURE 4 is" assembled from devices of the type, illustrated in'FIGURES'I'I: and 2,- and the outer surfaces 26'of the flaps 16 of alldevices comprisedjin the f 2 except the front wall 12 areypreferablyopaque. Arranged for rotation about a vertically disposed. hinge rod 14"apparatus are painted (black; The magnetizing coils zil s the positionillustrated in l the co il Zfli adjacent the window fl32 is 'denatingvoltage 48 by appropriate setting of individual switches 24, 24-", 24and 24" as illustrated in FIG URE 5. Said figure is a planview of theuppermost row of juxtaposed signalling devices in an apparatus of thetype illustrated in FIGURE 4 and shows that the switches 24-" and 24 areclosed to energize thecoils of the two center devices of said uppermostrow to cause the flaps 16 thereof to expose their" black outer surfaces26 through the window 12, which surfaces are necessary to form thecharacter 2 upon the front surface of the apparatus. The magnetizingcoils of the devices in the lower rows of the apparatus illustrated inFIGURE 4 may be individually connected to the source of power 48 byindividual switches so that the complete character 2, or any othercharacter or letter may readily be displayed on the front surface of theapparatus shown in FIGURE 4 by closure of the appropriate switches 24.

Analogically operating devices may be constructed by employingmagnetizable material for the flaps or vanes 16 or 44, respectively, theonly difference being that energization of the magnetizing windings willthen attract, instead of repel said vanes. If the vane 16 (FIGURES 1 and2) is constructed from a magnetizable material, such as iron, it has tobe biassed by appropriate tilting of its hinge rod 14, or suitablespring means 27 in such a manner it will normally assume a positionadjacent the window 12 wherein it displays whatever identifying mark maybe provided on its outer surface 26. Energization of the magnetizingcoil 20 as effected by closure of switch 24 will then pull the vane 16into a position adjacent the side wall 18 of the enclosure, wherein itsidentifying mark is concealed from view.

Similarly, if the vane 44 of the device illustrated in FIGURE 3 isconstructed from a magnetizable material, it will perform assatisfactorily as if the vane were constructed from an electricallyconductive, non-magnetizable material, but closure of switch 40 andopening of switch 42 would cause the vane'44 to move into its displayposition, and opening of switch 40 and closure of switch 42' FIGURE 5may be assembledfrom signalling devices employing vanes of a'magnetizable material; The embodiwhen the vanes 16 and 34 of theapparatus illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5 are constructed of magnetizablematerial, the provision of spacers adjacent the magnetizing coils, suchas indicated at 25 in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5 to prevent direct contact ofthe vane with the magnetizing coils, is practically a necessity forsatisfactory perforrnance of the devices, in order that the vanes maydependably detach themselves from their positions adjacent themagnetizing coils whenever they are supposed to swing into theiropposite positions.

I claim:

1. A signalling device comprising an enclosure having side portions andat least one window, a sheet of magnetizable material, means mountingsaid sheet for movement between a position wherein it conceals anidentifying mark from view throughsaid window and a position wherein itdisplays the mark to view through said window, a spiral coil mounted onthe surface of a side portion of said enclosure which is adjacent tosaid window, the

convolutions of said coil being substantially in a surface parallel withthe side portion on which it is mounted, and means operable to energizesaid spiral coil to move said sheet from one to the other positionthereof.

2. A signalling device comprising an enclosure having a window and aside wall adjacent said window, a sheet of magnetizable material, hingemeans mounting said sheet for rotation between a position adjacent saidside wall and a position adjacent said window, a spirally woundmagnetizing coil mounted in a surface parallel with and adjacent to saidside wall, and means for energizing said coil to withdraw said sheetfrom said window.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,774 1/98HGIZOg 340 33s 2,359,546 10/44 Carroll 340-373 2,367,299 1/45 McLarn etal. 340473 2,405,429 8/46 Jewell 340 373v 2,909,973 10/59 Koelsch et a1340-37 2,912,674 11/59 "Aiken 340 44 2,952,835 9/60 Aiken 340-443,021,519 2/62 McLaughlin 340-373 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.BENNETT G.'MILLER, Examiner.

1. A SIGNALLING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE HAVING SIDE PORTIONS ANDAT LEAST ONE WINDOW, A SHEET OF MAGNETIZABLE MATERIAL, MEANS MOUNTINGSAID SHEET FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITION WHEREIN IT CONCEALS ANIDENTIFYING MARK FROM A VIEW THROUGH SAID WINDOW AND A POSITION WHEREINIT DELAYS THE MARK TO VIEW THROUGH SAID WINDOW, A SPIRAL COIL MOUNTED ONTHE SURFACE OF A SIDE PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE WHICH IS ADJACENT TOSAID WINDOW, THE CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID COIL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN ASURFACE PARALLEL WITH THE SIDE PORTION ON WHICH IT IS MOUNTED, AND MEANSOPERABLE TO ENERGIZE SAID SPIRAL COIL TO MOVE SAID SHEET FROM ONE TO THEOTHER POSITION THEREOF.